General manager Ben Cherington did not respond to requests for comment on Friday. But major league sources said the sides are continuing to discuss proper compensation for Farrell.

Farrell, 50, was the Red Sox pitching coach for four seasons before becoming manager of the Blue Jays in 2011.

Farrell has not denied any interest in returning to Boston after two rocky seasons in Toronto. The Red Sox see Farrell as being able to capture the respect of the players following the turbulent one-year reign of Bobby Valentine.

Like Cherington, Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos has a reputation for honesty in his dealings with the media. Speculation in Toronto is that he canceled his weekly radio appearance Thursday morning rather than answer questions about the situation. The Associated Press reported late Friday night that the Sox have asked permission to speak directly to Farrell.

As the Red Sox try to engineer the return of Farrell, the four managerial candidates they interviewed are waiting to get some news.

“Thought it went well. There was no timetable given on when I might hear back,” said Hale, who interviewed Thursday. “Enjoyed the opportunity.”

One compelling reason for the Red Sox to name a manager soon is so he can assemble a strong coaching staff. One position that needs filling is hitting coach, with the departure of Dave Magadan to the Texas Rangers Friday.

The Red Sox held an option on Magadan, but granted him permission to speak with other teams. Magadan had several offers, including one from the Indians and his former boss, Terry Francona. The Red Sox wanted him to return for a seventh season.

Under Magadan, the Red Sox have had one of the top offenses in the game. They were second in the majors in OPS (.791) and led the game by averaging 3.94 pitches per plate appearances during the last six years.

“It was difficult to leave,” Magadan said. “I have relationships with the players, the front office, everybody from the PR department to marketing to community relations. I did a lot of work in the community. There’s a lot of people in the organization I’m going to miss.”

Magadan said he established roots in Boston and gave consideration to staying.

“In the end, I felt like it was a good opportunity for me to go to Texas and kind of start the next chapter of my coaching career. Me and the family are very excited for it,” he said.

Magadan said all the organizational turnover in recent years did not play a role in his decision.

“No, not really. In the end I feel like I can more or less get along with anybody,” he said. “What brings me to the field every day is your relationships with the manager and the other staff members, but ultimately it’s the players that get you up in the morning and make you want to show up to work. As a coach, that’s the way it’s got to be. The wins and losses are byproducts of how hard we work with the individual players. I spend more time with those guys than I do with my own family during the season.

“There are relationships there that will be hard to say goodbye to.”

Said Rangers GM Jon Daniels: “We felt like we got one of the best in the business.”

The Red Sox have not said anything about the status of their other coaches.

Bench coach Tim Bogar turned down the opportunity to become the bench coach in Houston. He had interviewed to become the Astros manager, which went to Bo Porter.

Pitching coach Randy Niemann and third base coach Jerry Royster were associates of Valentine and are unlikely to be retained.

With Magadan leaving, Bullpen coach Gary Tuck is the longest-tenured member of the field staff. He has been with the team for six seasons.

. . .

The Red Sox and David Ortiz engaged in contract negotiations last week, according to a team source, but nothing has been resolved.

Nick Cafardo of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Peter Abraham can be reached at pabraham@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @PeteAbe.